The Record of Learning

乐正克Bashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.9

Word count: 1.6K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

A chapter in the Records of Ritual (the Lesser Dai Records of Ritual), a monograph on ancient Han Chinese institutions and ceremonial regulations, written in the late Warring States period. It is traditionally attributed to Dai Sheng of the Western Han. According to Guo Moruo's textual research, the author was Yue Zheng Ke, a disciple of Mencius.

The text is concise and comprehensive, with vivid metaphors, and systematically and comprehensively expounds the purpose and role of education, the institutions, principles, and methods of education and teaching, the status and role of teachers, the teacher-student relationship in the educational process, and the relationships among fellow students. It summarizes and generalizes the educational experience of the pre-Qin Han Chinese in a relatively systematic and comprehensive way. It is the earliest work in ancient China and in the world devoted specifically to education and teaching.

Editor's review

"The Record of Learning" is a famous chapter in the Records of Ritual devoted specifically to education. Brief yet structurally complete, it addresses the aims of education, teaching institutions, teaching principles, the role of teachers, and teacher-student relations, in concise language with vivid metaphors. It is not merely a record of ancient educational experience but offers a framework for thinking about teaching that rewards repeated reflection: how to inspire rather than instill, how to seize the right moment for learning, and how to understand that "teaching and learning promote each other." The 2024 Bashu Publishing House edition makes this pre-Qin educational treatise easier for modern readers to consult. Its value lies not in copying ancient institutions but in using the ancients' awareness of problems to reflect on teaching and learning today. It suits teachers, student teachers, and parents for slow reading, as well as general readers interested in the origins of Chinese educational thought. Reading it alongside the background of the Records of Ritual and contemporary educational settings is recommended, respecting the text's original meaning while avoiding excessive forced analogies.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Primary and secondary school teachers, student teachers, and readers who need reference points for educational philosophy
Readers interested in pre-Qin educational thought and the Chinese educational tradition
Parents and educational administrators concerned with teacher-student relations and teaching methods
Students preparing to read selections from the Records of Ritual who need an introductory guide

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for concrete lesson plans or modern teaching-technique manuals
Readers expecting a long theoretical monograph on education with a systematic framework
Readers entirely unwilling to engage with classical Chinese texts and ancient institutions

Reading tips

Read the whole text first and outline its structure: the role of education, teaching institutions, teaching principles, teacher-student relations.
Extract key sentences such as "teaching and learning promote each other" and write brief annotations in light of your own teaching or learning experience.
Read alongside passages on education in the Analects and compare the different texts' emphases.
After reading, try restating one principle in modern language to test whether you have truly understood it.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

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FAQ

Was the author of "The Record of Learning" Yue Zheng Ke?

"The Record of Learning" comes from the Records of Ritual, traditionally compiled by Dai Sheng of the Western Han. As for the author, Guo Moruo once identified him as Yue Zheng Ke, a disciple of Mencius, but this is one scholarly view and is not undisputed. Readers may take it as reference for understanding the text's background, but should not treat it as an absolute conclusion.

What does "The Record of Learning" mainly discuss?

It systematically discusses the aims and role of education, teaching institutions, teaching principles and methods, the status of teachers, and teacher-student and fellow-student relations. The language is concise and the metaphors vivid; it summarizes pre-Qin educational experience and is an early Chinese work devoted specifically to educational questions.

What practical use does reading "The Record of Learning" have today?

It offers not ready-made lesson plans but fundamental reflection on the teaching relationship, such as inspiring and guiding, seizing the right moment, and teaching and learning promoting each other. Teachers can use it to rethink classroom approaches, parents can understand patterns of learning, and students can appreciate the ancients' understanding of learning.

Do I need to read the entire Records of Ritual before reading "The Record of Learning"?

Not necessarily. You can begin with the single chapter, using annotations to understand the vocabulary and institutional background, and then expand to other chapters of the Records of Ritual as needed. If you are unfamiliar with ancient educational institutions, you may first read a concise introduction rather than the whole book at the outset.

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About the author

乐正克 Author

Yue Zhengke is the author of the ancient Chinese educational text Xueji (Record on the Subject of Education). Public information about his life is limited: his dates of birth and death, nationality, and English name are not clearly recorded. The library currently holds one work by him, Xueji, commonly classified under education. Xueji is an early Chinese treatise that systematically discusses educational issues, covering educational aims, teaching principles, teacher-student relations, and methods of learning. Its language is concise and refined, making effective use of analogy and parallel expression to sketch a complete framework of educational thought within a limited space. The text has had a profound influence on later educational thinking and teaching practice and is often regarded as an important source for studying traditional Chinese views on education. Because historical materials about the author are scarce, readers should focus on the work itself and understand its arguments in the context of ancient education, rather than speculating excessively about the author's personal life.